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Being in a High School band with drum corps instructors


sday88

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I taught at a school in So Cal that had some pretty outstanding DCI instructors on staff...

Me (Colts) percussion, battery arranger

Roger Carter (Madison Scouts) percussion

Jaime Holly (Blue Devils) visual designer, vis tech

Pete Sapadin (Troopers) percussion

Peter Gomez (Academy) guard

Kieth Dunton (Madison Scouts member) brass

Jenifo Leseth (Crown) guard consultant

Don Hill (Blue Stars) wind arrangements

Tom Rarick (Bluecoats) pit arrangements

Michael Klesch (Crown) wind arrangements

That band went from nowhere to being second at the western BOA regional in a year! What a fun ride that was!

Edited by Cadetsnare
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I have a visual tech that was my visual tech in drum corps. It's cool having him be in the same place as me going back and forth, but it's weird for both of us to be really close almost level friendship at drum corps and then go to marching band and have to assume the roll of teacher and student. besides that it's fresh though- really good drill writer and teacher for everything music to visual to corresponding both.

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One of my nephews is in a H.S. band in NJ directed by someone who's a DCI and DCA judge. My nephew is enjoying the experience. At least the last I checked. :tongue:

Fran

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Late 1970's - Band of the Black Watch from Kenosha, WI

Music Arrangements - Jay Kennedy

Drill Design - Michael Cesario

Guard Design - Greg Cesario

Percussion Design - Jeff Cesario

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The closest I came to having DCI instructors in high school was the year before I joined marching band, Scott Koter was in his last year of being our drum instructor. I was gong to march that year so I did go to a few winter rehearsals with him there. I still remember that I was going to be a freshman and I wanted to play quads. At the time the band had these really big tri-toms, and they were as heavy as crap. Scott said that we would be getting quads that next year and they'd be even heavier and that he didn't think that I could carry them. They ended up not letting the freshman march that year though, so I never got instructed by Scott. Scott was just out of college back then.

The year after that, which was my first year marching, Glen Fugett was our drum instructor. He graduated from my high school four years before me.

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Late 1970's - Band of the Black Watch from Kenosha, WI

Music Arrangements - Jay Kennedy

Drill Design - Michael Cesario

Guard Design - Greg Cesario

Percussion Design - Jeff Cesario

That's funny because they were my high school instructors too - I graduated in 78'

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I know that band! Maybe you guys (MikeD and kyle) will recognize the school I go to: Northern Valley Old Tappan.

You're right in that Bergenfield doesn't compete much, but they've grown really big over the years (past 180 now). In marching Bergenfield and my school are rivals, mainly because the current band director there was a student teacher for my band director and because we're both non-competitive (though my school doesn't compete because of conflicts with concert band events). They still do the circle expansion, and with all of those members it's quite a sight!

What the hell? Rivals? We were best friends with OT when I went to school there, and that wasn't long ago. Our rival was always Clifton. 180 is OK, but my largest year was around 210. Circle Expansion is neat, but nothing will beat the feeling of performing in the Herald News Festival at Clifton HS (Now North Jersey festival at Montclair College) and having the entire stadium stand-up and erupt doing that and the accompany front. We may have had the most fans there, but I'm talking about every person in the stands.

I've been meaning to convert the VHS tapes to DVD, and can't wait to see that again.

Edited by Kyle B
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What the hell? Rivals? We were best friends with OT when I went to school there, and that wasn't long ago. Our rival was always Clifton. 180 is OK, but my largest year was around 210. Circle Expansion is neat, but nothing will beat the feeling of performing in the Herald News Festival at Clifton HS (Now North Jersey festival at Montclair College) and having the entire stadium stand-up and erupt doing that and the accompany front. We may have had the most fans there, but I'm talking about every person in the stands.

I've been meaning to convert the VHS tapes to DVD, and can't wait to see that again.

I didn't mean it that way, I mean that we always push each other to do better. After our performances at Montclair and the football games we'd always cheer for one another louder than anyone else (btw we're catching up in numbers, passed 110 this year and still growing). Sometimes it's misinterpreted by the new members on this side, but I never saw it that way. I don't think there's any band we truly hate, but if I had to choose one it would be Cherry Hill West (we've never seen them march, but we duked it out on our concert band trip and that directly translated to the whole music program).

Yeah, we know you have the most people in the stands. :tongue: At OT, we go the Fuddruckers in Paramus after every NJBF and whichever section sells the most tickets gets to be first in line. Usually not many people do anything, and the section that wins has one kid who invited his whole family as if it's the biggest thing in his marching career (and I'm not saying that it isn't, for me it's a completely different but equal sensation as DCI Championships). But this year, I have the magic of DCP! If you want tickets for the North Jersey Band Festival, don't buy them at the gate. Contact me via PM! They're half-price and postage is on me!!!

Edited by MetalTones2012
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